5 syllables: non, u, ni, for, m. Stress on ni.
nah-nyoo-NIF-awrm
/ˌnɑːnjuˈnɪfɔːrm/
nonuniform is pronounced nah-nyoo-NIF-awrm (/ˌnɑːnjuˈnɪfɔːrm/). It has five syllables (non-u-ni-for-m), with the stress on "ni". Nonuniform is an adjective describing something lacking consistent form, pattern, or distribution; it can also refer to a population or data set where values vary or are not evenly spread. In math or science contexts, it denotes irregularity or heterogeneity. The term contrasts with uniform, emphasizing variability across parts or elements.
Nonuniform is an adjective describing something lacking consistent form, pattern, or distribution; it can also refer to a population or data set where values vary or are not evenly spread. In math or science contexts, it denotes irregularity or heterogeneity. The term contrasts with uniform, emphasizing variability across parts or elements.
- You may flatten the /juː/ into a dull /ju/ or /jʊ/, making the sequence awkward. Correction: hold the long /uː/ more distinctly, like in you, then smoothly slide into /nɪ/ or /njʊ/. - The middle consonant cluster /n/ + /ɪ/ or /nj/ can blur. Practice isolating /nj/ as a single consonant blend, then attach to /fɔːrm/. - Stress misplacement: the natural emphasis is on the third syllable (non-UNIf orm). Practice the rhythm: da-da-DA-da.
"The terrain showed nonuniform elevations across the landscape."
"Data was nonuniform, with clusters of high values in some regions."
"The fabric's nonuniform weave created an uneven texture."
You pronounce it as /ˌnɒn.juːˈnɪ.fɔːrm/ in US; UK typically /ˌnɒn.juːˈnjʊː.fɔːm/ or /ˌnɒn.juːˈnɪfɔːm/. Stress pattern is secondary on the first syllable cluster, main stress on the third syllable: non-UNIf orm. Start with /nɒn/ (rhymes with 'con'), then /juː/ with a long 'u' as in 'you', then /ˈnɪ/ (short i) or /ˈnjʊ/ depending on accent, followed by /fɔːrm/ with a clear 'or-m' ending. Mouth shape: start with a lax rounded /ɒ/ in British/US, glide into /juː/ by raising the tongue toward the hard palate, then syllabic /nɪ/ or /njʊ/ before the /fɔːrm/ final. Audio references: you can listen on Pronounce or Forvo for speaker variants.
Common mistakes include misplacing stress (emphasizing the first or second syllable too much) and flattening the middle vowel cluster (/juː/ vs /ju/). Some say /ˌnɒnˈjuː.nɪˌfɔːm/ with incorrect secondary stress. Another error is conflating /njuː/ and /njʊ/ or mispronouncing the final /rm/ as /r/ only. Correction: keep the primary stress on the third syllable with clear /ˌ/ before it, articulate /juː/ as a single glide into /nɪ/ or /njʊ/ depending on dialect, and finish with /fɔːrm/ ensuring the /r/ is pronounced before the syllable-final /m/.
US tends to use /ˌnɑːn.juːˈnɪ.fɔːrm/ with rhotics and a tensed /ɔːr/; UK often features non-rhoticity or a lighter /r/ and a longer /ɔː/ in /fɔːm/, giving /ˌnɒn.juːˈnɪfɔːm/. Australian tends to merge vowels a bit and may have less stressed syllable contrast, with /ˌnɒn.juːˈnjʊː.fɔːm/ or /ˌnɒnˈjuːnɪfɔːm/. The main differences are rhotics, vowel quality in /ɔːm/ and /juː/, and the position/strength of the second syllable vowel. Listen to speakers in academic contexts to hear subtle shifts.
The difficulty lies in the multi-morphemic structure with a sequence of consonant-vowel-consonant clusters: /n/ + /ɒ/ + /n/ + /juː/ + /nɪ/ + /fɔːr/ + /m/. The /juː/ glide and the following /nɪ/ or /njʊ/ can trip listeners up, as can the final rhotic or non-rhotic /r/ + /m/ cluster depending on dialect. Additionally, the primary stress lands on the third syllable, which can surprise speakers who expect even stress. Practice the smooth transition between /juː/ and /nɪ/ and maintain the final /rm/ combination for clarity.
A distinctive thing is the tense, rounded /ɔː/ in the final syllable, which can be shortened in rapid speech or altered to /ɒ/ in some dialects. You’ll want to maintain a clear /ɔː/ before the final /rm/ to avoid vowels bleeding into the /m/. Also ensure the /juː/ is a single, smooth glide rather than two separate sounds, particularly in fast speech.
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- US: rhotics; keep /r/ sounded in /rm/ cluster; elongate /ɔː/ in final syllable. - UK: often non-rhotic; /r/ at end is optional; emphasize /ɔː/ with longer duration; /juː/ remains a glide. - AU: similar to UK, with a slightly flatter vowels; keep /juː/ as a single glide and maintain final /m/ clearly. Use IPA as reference: US /ˌnɒn.juːˈnɪ.fɔːrm/, UK /ˌnɒn.juːˈnɪ.fɔːm/, AU /ˌnɒn.juːˈnɪ.fɔːm/.
The word nonuniform combines the prefix non- meaning ‘not’ with uniform, from the Latin uniformis ‘having one form, sameness,’ ultimately from uni- ‘one’ and forma ‘form.’ The term entered scientific use in the 18th–19th centuries as disciplines like mathematics, physics, and statistics formalized the idea of distributions and shapes that are not the same throughout. Early usage often described physical properties or measurements that deviated from a constant value, such as nonuniform motion, nonuniform material properties, or nonuniform data sets. In modern technical language, nonuniform denotes any irregularity in spatial, temporal, or qualitative attributes, distinguishing it from the ideal of uniformity. First known uses appeared in scholarly texts addressing geometry and mechanics, where precise language for irregular forms became necessary as empirical data accumulated and models grew more complex.
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Words that rhyme with "nonuniform"
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